Park of China
Overview
| Designation | UNESCO World Heritage (natural, 2013) National Park of China (first batch) AAAAA tourist attraction |
| Province | Xinjiang |
| Location | Western foot of Bogda Peak, Tianshan Mountains, Xinjiang |
| Mountains | Tianshan Mountains |
| Latitude, longitude | 43.9, 88.1 Google Maps |
| Highlights | Alpine lake, snow mountains, forest |
| Wildlife | Snow lotus |
| Area | 548 km² |
| Elevation | 1,910 m |
| Highest point | 5,445 m |
| Nearby cities | Ürümqi |
| Nearby sites | Bosten Lake 244km Search nearby |
| Themes | Lake, Snow Mountain, Forest, Stamp, Peak, Alpine meadows, Rime & snow scenery, Rafting & boat trips |
About
Heavenly Lake (Tianchi) lies below Bogda Peak in Fukang City, Xinjiang. Crescent-shaped, it is 3.4 km long and up to 1.5 km wide, 4.9 km² in area, about 105 m deep and 1,910 m above sea level; the scenic area covers 548 km².
It is an alpine lake formed when an ancient glacial mudflow dammed the valley. The water is clear and blue-green, ringed by forested mountains, deep gorges and grassy shores, with spruce and pine, snow lotus and snowcock. The climate is moist and cool in summer, with about 500 mm of rain a year.
The name dates from 1783, when Mingliang, the military governor of Xinjiang, set up a stele at the lake inscribed “a divine pool, vast and misty; a heavenly mirror floating in the sky”.
Bogda Peak, 5,445 m, rises south-east of the lake.
It was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2013 as part of “Xinjiang Tianshan”, as a natural site. It is in the first batch of national parks of China (national scenic areas) named by the State Council in 1982.
Main sights
East Little Tianchi (Black Dragon Pool) lies east of the main lake above a cliff of nearly 100 m that becomes a waterfall in high water; West Little Tianchi (Jade Maiden Pool), about 2 km north-west of the main lake, is ringed by spruce and has a waterfall beside it.
Travel tips
Getting there: Tianchi is in Fukang, east of Urumqi; the drive to the park gate takes about two hours, by tour bus, hired car or day tour.
Inside the park: from the gate, park shuttle buses climb the mountain road to the lake; private cars cannot drive up.
At the lake: walk the lakeside boardwalk or take a boat; in clear weather Bogda Peak is visible to the southeast.
Other sights: the Little West Heaven Lake and a waterfall are on the way up; an old elm on the north shore and the lakeside paths are the usual stops.
Time: it is a day trip from Urumqi, with most of the day spent in the park.
Season: June to September is best, when everything is green. In winter the lake freezes; it looks different but is very cold.
Caution: the lake is close to 2,000 m up, so it is cool in the mornings, evenings and on cloudy days even in summer; bring a jacket. Mountain weather changes quickly.
Stamps
On 8 August 1996 China Post issued 1996-19 “Heavenly Lake of Tianshan”, four stamps: the calm lake in the high gorge, the hanging spring and waterfall, snow peaks behind the lake, and the lakeside scenery.
The ninth stamp of the 1981 definitive set R21 “Scenery of the Motherland” shows the Tianshan.
Map
Photo credits: Heaven Lake of Tianshan and the snow peaks to the south: Caitriana Nicholson (CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons)
Nearby
| World Heritage | Bogda 15km, Site of Bashbaliq City 88km, Yarkhoto 130km, Site of Qocho City 163km |
| National parks | Kumtag Desert 206km, Bosten Lake 244km |
| AAAAA attractions | Tianshan Grand Canyon Scenic Area 82km, Jiangbulake Scenic Area 132km, Grape Valley (Putaogou) 134km |
| AAAA attractions | Shuimogou Park 34km, Xinjiang Tianshan Wildlife Park 35km, Red Light Mountain 41km, Xinjiang International Grand Bazaar 43km |
| Cities | Ürümqi 43km |